In February 2019, the Offender Database reported that Ian David Priestley, then 66, originally from Derby, was sentenced at the Royal Court in Jersey to five years in prison. Priestley, a former teacher at Les Quennevais and Le Rocquier schools, was convicted of a series of “calculated” sexual assaults against two teenage girls that spanned over a decade.
The court heard that Priestley’s offending occurred between 1992 and 2003. One victim was first assaulted in the 1990s when she was just 14 years old and stated she was “terrified” of him. The second victim was targeted in the following decade; Priestley was reported to have waited for her at Howard Davis Park, knowing the route she walked home, and assaulted her on four separate occasions. Though Priestley had left the teaching profession for the finance industry in the late 1980s, the prosecution noted that he utilised his maturity and position to manipulate the “naive teenagers.”
Following a three-day trial in January 2019, a jury of seven men and five women found Priestley guilty of six counts of indecent assault and four counts of procuring acts of gross indecency. During the sentencing before the Superior Number—Jersey’s highest sentencing body—Commissioner Sir Michael Birt stated that Priestley had abused a position of trust, causing his victims to “lose their innocence.” Detective Inspector Cathy Davison of the States of Jersey Police praised the victims’ “great courage” in coming forward in 2016 to report the historical abuse.
Ian David Priestley was sentenced to five years in prison. In addition to his custodial sentence, the court imposed an eight-year restraining order prohibiting him from being alone with any girl under the age of 16. The presiding judge emphasised that despite his previous “good character,” Priestley continues to present a significant risk to young girls.
As a result of his convictions for serious sexual offences against children, Priestley has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Jersey. This ensures that the States of Jersey Police and probation services maintain permanent, intensive monitoring of his residency and behaviour to safeguard the public.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.